Bloggers Do Yoga

It finally happened. An event unlike any other that bloggers have ever done.
Bloggers came together at the Vinyasa Yoga Center (where I practice) and did yoga for an hour and a half, followed by a vegetarian dinner cooked by my own yoga teacher, Pio Baquiran, who is not only a great yogi teacher but [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Pop! Goes the Nestle

I grew up with Pinipig Crunch as my favorite treat. I love ice cream, no doubt about it. But my problem always was this. It would sometimes drip before I could eat it all. Some parts would drop from the popsicle stick if I was not quick on the draw. It could get pretty messy. [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Returning to Bloomington

I’m returning to Bloomington, Indiana, this fall. Barring any wild occurrences, I will resume teaching classes at Bloomington Power Yoga. Kelly, Susan, and Rusty will continue teaching as well. We have some exciting new developments in the works, including a new schedule, possibly some new classes, and special offerings for yoga beginners and yoga veterans.
The [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Broken Foot* ( *Toe)

Is it a rite of passage in Ashtanga to break a foot (or a toe) jumping through?



If so, I am a woman now.



Yes, yesterday, I caught my pinky toe on the sticky, tacky rubberized eco-Manduka. Damn eco-friendly rubber. It was all well and good until I laid a beach towel over the damn thing to roll around in Garba Pindasana, and then moved the towel off the mat for Setu Bandasana. When I jumped through, I was expecting the mat to be as slippery as it was before. Well, damn, if rubber doesn't wipe up fast. It was as dry as dust, and as sticky as, well, as rubber can be. And it caught my lazy right toe as I tried to skim it through on the jump through.



Twang.



What?



Oooooh! CRAP!



NO, this cannot be happening the day before my kids leave for camp, also known as the day I begin to do whatever I want whenever I want for however long that I want.



Ah, but it did happen.



Nevertheless, I finished my practice, and even had a pretty delightful, albeit cautious practice (never has my chest been as open in backbending as when I'm fixated on not letting my pinky toe touch the ground), which left out Bakasana B (I just did A twice), which involved no further jumping of any kind and no dropbacks. But my backbends were so delightful, so open in the chest, that I did about six from the floor, each one held longer than the last, until I was up to about 15 breaths. That is definitely a record for me.



Not that we keep track of such things in yoga.



No.



Came home, went about my business for a little bit, soon decided to go to the Rexall for some tape so that my toe wouldn't be hanging off of my foot, which kind of exacerbated the pain, and my pharmacist took one look at me, shoeless, breathless, a bit disheveled and said, "Get yourself to Northern Westchester Hospital, NOW."



I argued with him: I don't wanna get an X-Ray. I don't wanna wait to be seen. I don't wanna be told I have to stay off my foot.



Needless to say, I lost the argument, and off I went. An hour later, I had a splint and a pair of crutches.



I will be at practice on Monday though. New York Yoga with the Good Doctor. Broken toe be damned.



YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Obam-asana: Three Essential Yoga Poses for Michelle Obama

What are the three essential yoga poses that Michelle Obama must practice if she wants that "re-introduction" to the American voter for which she seems to be jonesing (see, e.g., The View)?

Read my story on
The Huffington Post, and find out...

Obam-asana, ya'all!

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Protected: Have You Stopped to Smell the Flowers Yet?

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Sick! -- The Summer Solstice

This was probably the reason for Friday's awkward practice and rough nap. I'm miserably sick. I couldn't really sleep. Awake/asleep it all feels the same. All I want to do is drive out to the Rockaways and jump into the ocean but the SO is still sleeping and grumbled to me at 6 am that he thought it wasn't the best idea for me. Maybe he is right. The water can be cold out there and the weather won't break 80 today and it is supposed to rain. But I keep going back to that David Williams workshop where he said that when you are sick you should practice a little then jump in the ocean and snort the salt water then go do some more yoga and then do it again. I imagine this hippie jungle man covered in leaved with a stick in his hair running out from the trees into the water and back again. I want that to be me. I want to be sun kissed and tropical with the taste and smell of salt water on my skin with sand collecting in the cuticles of my toenails.

Before the suffering began, yesterday I found myself marking the summer solstice in Times Square with hundreds of other people who were marveling at the notion of being fully reclined in the middle of the madness. I was one of the people walking through the downward dogs trying to explain to this beginner or that the subtleties of knees chest chin or how to straighten the leg in trikonasana. For a few minutes as I stood watching the class, the taxis, the lights, the people, the buildings, the chaos, I felt that warm little feeling that one gets when one connects with how very special this city can be. And I got a shwag bag.

photo link

yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Typhoon Frank: The Aftermath

This is what our yard looks like right now. A “war zone” after Typhoon Frank made a direct pass over Metro Manila packing winds of about 120 kph. Every time a typhoon passes, our yard looks like this owing to the mango and starapple trees we have. We have had worse storms which had these [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Slippery Yoga Mats

A lot of people have been pointing out to me that their Manduka Eko mat gets very slippery when they practice Ashtanga or a sweaty Vinyasa Flow class. I’ve had students and readers of this blog say to me that they had high hopes for the Manduka Eko and were disappointed because they found it to be too [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

The Benefits of a Yoga Mat Spray

All women with no exception whatsoever are anxious about childbirth right from the time they conceive. Sometimes this is because of the horror stories they have heard from friends or seen on TV. However, it need not be that way. Yoga for would-be-mothers reduces the incidence of pain and discomfort to a very large extent.

How to Get the Best of Both Worlds

Yoga works on some specific principles, while doctors and medicine work on another. Both however, have it at their heart to provide you with a pain-free pregnancy and delivery. Medicines usually cut down the characteristic pains with the help of extra vitamins (calcium especially) and fetus-friendly pain killers. Yoga on the other hand will anesthetize through hundreds-of-year-old tried and tested techniques and principles on which yoga is still funnyctioning today.

The good news is that one need not exist without the other. One can have the intervention of both the doctor (for closer re-assurance) and the yoga instructor for the most pain-killing efficient postures and exercises at the time of delivery and before that as well. The medical benefits being already known, the following would throw a light on the benefits of prenatal yoga:

1. You can start with prenatal yoga today - even if you do not have a yoga studio anywhere close by, with the help of an excellent video or DVD. Start today as every moment is precious.

2. Feel free to use whatever props keep you comfortable and capable of doing the prescribed activities. Prenatal yoga movements will become easier with each passing day.

3. Take great care that you do not overstretch in your over-enthusiasm to do better, lest you harm yourself

4. All the prenatal yoga exercises can be done with around-the-house props such as beanbags, cushions, chairs, blankets, pillows, and so on. Do exactly as the prenatal yoga pose says you should. If you find that it is too uncomfortable, immediately inform your instructor and doctor.

5. In case you are among those women who have developed terrible back pain during pregnancy, you may ask the yoga instructor to include in the list for prenatal yoga a few back-strengthening exercises as well.

6. If you are practicing aqua yoga, check that the water should be at least waist deep and pre-heated. Ideally all the practice should be done in swimming pools.

7. Keep the doctor involved in the whole prenatal yoga routine, lest anything would trigger the premature arrival of the baby.
As a commitment to yourself, you have diligently practiced yoga these last few months. Routinely you would wear you yoga attire, pack up your yoga mat and excitedly participate in a 45 minute session on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Even though it has been strenuous at times and you have work up quite a sweat, you have enjoyed the full range of benefits that practicing yoga has offered.

Following each session you would return home, bathe, enjoy a relaxing meal and clean your yoga equipment. As part of the cleaning routine your yoga mat would be washed down with soap and water and allowed to dry thoroughly.

Then, after one of your yoga sessions, a fellow yoga enthusiast started talking about a new yoga mat spray that they were using to clean their yoga mat. You found out that this spray would not only clean your mat but would help in the meditative aspects of your yoga regimen.

Cleaning the Mat

A yoga mat is that padding that comes between you and the hard surface that you are conducting your yoga exercises upon. This cushion often is utilized in public settings and is therefore susceptible to various microorganisms that exist upon the floor and in a public setting. Some of these microorganisms could include bacteria, funnygus and various types of viruses. Added to the mix is the perspiration that flows from the yoga enthusiast who is performing yoga exercises.

Often, many individuals simply wipe down their yoga mat with soap and water. However, this process does not necessarily kill all of the harmful microorganisms that may be lurking on the mat. The solution is the use of a yoga mat spray.

A yoga mat spray will eradicate these undesirable elements because the ingredients of the spray often contain elements that are natural decontaminants. Some of these natural decontaminants may be a seed extract processed from grapefruit and tea tree oil. With most yoga mat sprays, the ingredients are strictly environmentally friendly and are easy to use. Generally, there are no additives or preservatives used in their manufacturing.

Cleansing the Mind

Not only will a quality yoga mat spray decontaminate your exercise equipment, but will also leave behind a soothing aroma. This aromatherapy effect can include such fragrances as lavender or eucalyptus and will aid in the meditative state that one tries to achieve through their yoga exercises.

yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

What is it about frogs?

The Good Doctor tells me that they are lucky - that they are the only animals to whom hymns of the sacred Vedas are dedicated, because they have pure nadis (and because they "sing"). Well, they certainly do. Birds sing too, as do crickets, and hound dogs. But there is something about a frog's song in the middle of the night. In the first few weeks of living here in the country, the sound of frogs singing in the darkness was the first sign for me that I really wasn't in Manhattan anymore.

Anyway, all of this came up because the frog in the photo at left? He was tucked away in my yoga mat when I went to unroll it yesterday to practice my Friday Primary. Why do I assume it is a "he"? I don't know. I just do.

Despite that I dislodged him from his comfortable Tapas-mat nook, he stayed beside me for a good long while. At first he sat next to my mat. Then he made his way back onto my mat. Then he ate a bug. Then I got into down dog, right over him to see what he would do. He just blinked at me and stayed put.

He was in Bhekasana, of course. An auspicious pose for an auspicious creature.

As I stood at the front of my mat to begin the Invocation, he leapt over to a planter and tucked himself away again.

I think he liked me, and I am fairly sure that he brought me some luck. After all, my
HuffPo article made it to the top of the front page of the Living and the Spirituality Sections yesterday and has received more than 70 comments. But even better: after a horrible practice on Thursday (stiff, weak, completely unfocused), I had a wonderful practice yesterday and an even better (totally criminal) practice today (my entire practice, all the way through Eka Pada Sirsasana, which is going quite well, despite that I need to hold my leg with one hand at this point; hell, it's only been three days). Or, I should say, tonight, since I practiced at 8 p.m., in the dark on my back porch, listening to the sound of the rain and, of course...the frogs.

Now I understand Arturo's frog obsession. At least I think I do.

YC

yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Posh-Asana: Do You Have To Be Rich to Do Yoga?

Um, maybe not, but it sure helps?


See what else I have to say on the topic at:

The Huffington Post: Lauren Cahn.

Become a fan too while you're at it. Leave a comment, whether you disagree with my take on the topic or not. ESPECIALLY if you disagree, actually.

Please? I'll remember you when I'm slightly more famous than I am now, which is not really that famous at all, but still...

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

More lessons learned on the New York City Subways/Even on the subway one can practice/Samskaras

"Excuse me." Much like the Indian use of the horn, it is sometimes directed to someone, sometimes a notice that I am here in space like sound bouncing so we know where we all are like bats or sharks in the ocean. I slide as gracefully as possible into the seat between two "normal" sized commuters (they did not cross the seat indentations into mine--a horror unto itself).

A man stands over me grumbling under his breath about girls and youth and who knows what else but I do catch his reference to my lapse in the use of "excuse me". This, apparently, I could not stand for. "I said 'excuse me'," I also mumble under my breath. We are here acting like the other isn't. This is how you ride in a car for thirty minutes with no AC and the lingering smell of puke and Chinese barbecue chicken over the screams of a baby in a stroller.

It could have ended there. We both could have had our moments of anger without penetrating the other's personal space (a relative term depending on the situation, but something New Yorkers will claim, name, and fight to the death for). I look up briefly from my Sudoku at the sound of the man's voice inches from my face. His mouth moves slowly like it is full of marbles. I see every bristle in his fisherman face. I can smell his angry little life and his desperation to yell at someone, anyone, just to get it out. Is he enjoying this? I suppose neither of us anticipated that I also have samskaras (in a nutshell, patterns of thoughts, actions, behaviors "inherited" from past lives or the past of this life) I'm working through.

"GET OUT OF MY FUCKING FACE!" 

I don't yell it or scream it. It was that cold, calculated, venomous voice built up for all those times when I couldn't or didn't say what I wanted to say. He looked afraid. I was steaming. Of course we rode the subway side by side like this without saying a word for two more stops.

Sometimes you ruffle your wings and then feel better, but sometimes you ruffle them and the feathers keep getting more disorganized. 

What else could have I told him to make him feel like shit?

What was going on with that poor guy that he needed to tell me that?

Why did I react that way?

Now that I have acted upon those samskaras and now that it doesn't feel as natural, will I be able to let them go?

So next time I do it differently.

As much as I am attached to the idea of transformation, those samskaras are attached to me.

yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Diamond Hotel’s Cake Club (A Sugar Rush Like No Other)

“Buffet” is a term meaning endless choices and is often associated with lunch or dinner. But believe it or not, there is now such a thing as a dessert buffet. And none other than Diamond Hotel lays claim to being Manila’s dessert Mecca.
Last Friday, son M2 and I hied over to the Archaology Strip of [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

The Meditative Art of Kundalini Yoga

Spiritual growth and a true yogic stirring within the soul are the key goals that a student of Kundalini yoga aspires to. Different from the eight more known and practiced styles, the focus is more on meditation and thus makes this the most powerful yoga. Specific techniques are used to incorporate each phase of the body to achieve unobstructed communication between the mind and the body.

The concentration of Kundalini yoga is on the seven chakras, or psychic hubs in the body that transmit energies. Stay fixated on these puppies through movements and meditation for a period of time to accumulate a special spiritual energy that derives its name from the yoga style practiced to harness it. The seven chakras are:

1) Muladhara (root) is the first chakra and is located at the base of the spine.
2) Svadhisthana (sweetness) is the second chakra and is located near the belly button.
3) Manipura (lustrous gem) is the third chakra and is located at the solar plexis.
4) Anahata (not struck) is the fourth chakra and is located at the heart.
5) Vissudha (purification) is the fifth chakra and is located at the throat.
6) Ajna (to perceive) is the sixth chakra and is located between the eyebrows.
7) Sahasrara (thousand petaled) is the seventh chakra and is located at the top of the head.



What Is All This Kundalini Business Anyway?

The term Kundalini actually refers to a coiled life force, or prana that is lying quiescent at the base of your spine. The purpose of Kundalini yoga is to tap into and release that force, letting travel up and eventually converge in your mind. Serenity and sublime ecstasy are the result. Having a working knowledge of the nervous and endocrine systems is essential for success in Kundalini yoga. This way you can better understand what is happening within yourself.

Specific poses, meditation, and chanting are all integrated into a session. Chanting is the most important of the three. Another must when beginning your sojourn with this very powerful Kundalini yoga style is the assistance of a qualified guru. Kundalini can be imagined like a snake. The right snake charmer can make this creature dance and purr like a kitten. Someone inexperienced could get their hand, or more bitten off. If you follow the guidance of your guru, this can be an amazing experience for you.
Yoga has been practiced for about 5,000 years. Over the course of that long expanse of time, many branches of yoga have developed. Many of the older schools emphasized the denial of the physical world and the serious followers of the discipline often left home and family to live a Spartan existence in an ashram. The mind was focused on the spiritual realm while the body assumed postures that helped in meditation or in the seeking of spiritual truth.

No yoga mat was necessary since the ashram was built with asanas (postures) in mind. No bag was necessary since the students devoted their lives to the ashram. There was no place to go. Today's yoga practitioner has a very different view of the discipline. Instead of yoga being the center of your life, it is usually a means to bettering your life. Instead of scheduling your day around asanas, breathing techniques and the study of the ancient texts, you probably try to fit a quick visit to the gym in around your busy demands. What you really need is a yoga bag.

Portable Spiritual Transport

Many Western yoga students follow a form of yoga based on Hatha Yoga which combines physical postures with meditation and other spiritual pursuits. Hatha Yoga strives for a balance between mind and body in a way similar to the Asian balance of Yin and Yang. Very often, yoga is used for exercise and physical health in the West. When the yoga student travels from the yoga studio or gym to the home studio, he needs to carry the few props needed for his yoga study.

While the props are few and the needs are simple, a good yoga bag is necessary. Before deciding on the type of yoga bag to get, take a close look at the type of yoga you are studying. Some yoga forms like Power Yoga, Ashtanga and Bikram or Hot Yoga include intense physical workouts. The mat and clothing will become sweaty and a washable yoga bag is a good idea. Bags are available in cotton and denim among other washable materials.

Another consideration is the type and amount of gear that needs to be carried. If you are wearing simple exercise clothing to the gym for your workout, you may appreciate a yoga bag with pockets for keys and glasses. Always make sure that there is room for a bottle of water besides your rolled mat. Get your mat before choosing your yoga bag. Most mats are thin, but thicker mats are available.

You may also want a blanket to roll up as a comfortable seat for meditation. Know how much room you'll need before you start looking for your yoga bag. Yoga requires a mind clear of worries. By looking ahead and planning for the right yoga bag, you won't be so distracted by your temporary needs.

yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

I prefer Second

This is a moment. A mere moment. But at this moment, I prefer Second to Primary. I like how fast it goes...whoosh! I've been practicing with the Good Doctor at the place in the West Village where the good J is providing him with space (even in her absence! She rocks!). I guess I need to call it something. La Escuela? Those who have been there might understand why. It has to do with the beautiful tiles on the kitchen floor and walls. And it also has to do with our new pronunciation of the word, "proprioception". Apologies if I have misspelled it. Lord knows, I only barely know what it means and can only barely ever say that experience it, it seems.

Anyway.

I'm loving the flow of Second. Primary just seems to draaaaaaaaaaaaag along sometimes. Then I get to Pasasana, and it just flies by. And in spite of not dillydallying in any of the backbends, I still manage to make progress in Kapotasana. Today I kept my fingertips on my feet, with the Good Doc holding them there, of course.

Bakasana B is funny, funny, funny! I do have a tendency to hold my breath in the exit of both A and B. Must work on that.

And then those twists! LOVE them, especially Ardha Matsyandrasana, named after some really important dude in the Hatha Yoga tradition. Who he was and what he did are escaping me at the moment. That pose just feels RIGHT.

Then, ah, my new favorite...Eka Pada Sirsasana. Why is it my favorite? Because although I cannot, absolutely CANNOT, do it without assistance, I still enjoy it, am not in pain, not uncomfortable and not scared in it. I even make a total ass of myself jumping into it - I can't get my straight leg through my arms and the only advice I have been given is "Jump higher". And I still love it.

Will this pass?

Ah, look at me clinging. Always clinging to what I enjoy. I look outside at the beautiful weather and count the months that are left before the leaves are gone. I enjoy a posture, and I worry that soon I will not.

This is where the yoga is needed.

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Up to Eka Pada

Bakasana B on the third try. Couldn't get Eka Pada to sat behind head without holding it. Yet. Day One, that is. Day Two here I come. Let the funny begin.

(And to answer the question on the previous post: it is neither jumping forward or back - it is the liftup after Ustrasana).

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

We have lift-off

Sometimes a picture really does tell a thousand words.

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Finding the Right Travel Yoga Mat for You

A yoga travel mat is essentially the same thing is a standard yoga mat with the added bonus of being lightweight enough that you can roll it up and easily carry it wherever you decide to go for your next yoga session, whether it be a yoga studio or a retreat. While generally not recommended for everyday yoga practice, a travel yoga mat can provide an effective surface when laid over a rug or towel to allow you to follow your standard exercise routine while on vacation.

Basic Construction of a Yoga Travel Mat

Yoga travel mats are designed specifically for yogis on the go and tend to weigh anywhere from 1 1/2 pounds to about 5 pounds. The mats are also generally notably thinner than the mats suggested for everyday use but can still be found in more than just one or two colors. More often than not, these yoga travel mats will be of a synthetic material and likely not quite as durable as your standard exercise mat. However, one definite benefit is that you can fold them up to easily be stored in your suitcase or bag without adding a whole lot of weight to your luggage.

Another nifty feature of a yoga travel mat is they are typically easy to clean. Most of them are capable of being hand washed in your hotel room's bathtub or sink, and since they're so thin they don't take very long to dry at all. Depending on what your yoga exercise mat is made out of it might require different washing procedures, so you should probably check the care instructions that should have come with it. If all else fails there are usually cleansing wipes sold at the same places that sell travel yoga mats, so you can buy a few of those to save for when you're out and need to use your travel mat.

If your local sporting goods or yoga specialty store doesn't carry something you like, or worse, doesn't exist in your neighborhood at all, don't fret. There are plenty of places online you can go to find just about any size, color and type of yoga exercise mat you might be interested in. With all the web sites and information floating about, you're bound to find a yoga travel mat you'll love to use during those chances you get a vacation, or even just a quick weekend away.
If you have been an avid yoga student for some time, you might be considering the advantages of teaching your own yoga classes. As popularity for yoga has grown in past years, so has the need for yoga teachers to obtain certification before delving into the field of yoga instruction. As classes have begun to crop up globally, and many have decided to pursue yoga on a much more casual, "Let's see if I like it" mode, yoga certification has become more important.

The plain and simple reason is liability. While yoga is not as vigorous of a workout program as other types of exercise, there is always the possibility of injuring oneself. Yoga instructors must be familiar with the individual needs of each student in a class to ensure that any special needs or medical concerns are addressed.

With the potential for injury, liability insurance becomes a necessity for today's yoga studios. Yoga certification of instructors enables studios to obtain and carry liability insurance much more easily. While some studios might request that a yoga instructor be registered to teach yoga, many more will ask that teachers have yoga certification before conducting classes.

Yoga Certification - Then What?

Yoga certification is only the first step in becoming a competent yoga instructor. Yoga instructors should have a minimum of 200 hours of study and two years of practice under the guidance of a yoga teacher before considering the certification process. A person who is considering teaching yoga should also have good communication skills, along with a strong awareness of safety and a good knowledge of yoga. Often studios will hire an instructor on a trial basis to ensure that the person will be an effective teacher in classes.

Once yoga certification is complete, additional courses should be taken to keep an instructor up to date on information regarding the impact of sports medicine, anatomy and physiology on yoga. It is also important to stay current on safety, modifications, and props in the yoga program. If you meet a student with particular medical needs, you may need to do your homework to learn how to address his individual issues most effectively.

Finally, it is a good idea to attend yoga workshops and camps after yoga certification is completed so that you continue to fine tune your own yoga skills. The more you study and learn after your certification is completed, the better yoga teacher you will be for your students.

yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Ashtanga Yoga Cheat Sheets

Okay, now, while I don't think yoga should be learned from pictures, I do know that this is how I started my practice. I hunted these practice sheets down because I know that 

1. not everyone can afford a yoga class

2. not everyone has time for a yoga class

3. some people are visual learners

4. some people cannot go to a teacher 6 days a week and need help remembering (in the beginning) what to practice

and also because

1. I think that the more free info in the world, the better

2. I want people to be excited about yoga and practice

3. It can be funny to look ahead to see what is coming

4. It can be funny to show your friends where you are in the sequence

5. Finding this stuff on the net is like pulling teeth

Cheat sheets can be helpful for these reasons. However, I very strongly feel that one should learn from a teacher and that you shouldn't bring these to class. Being clueless builds character.

Without further ado:

http://www.radikalfreedom.com/yoga/downloads.html

Surya Namaskar A

Surya Namaskar B

Standing postures  please note that there are some "extras" in here that aren't taught in the standing sequence at AYRI.

Primary series  more extras here as well

Second series and here too

Finishing Postures yes, and there are more here

What isn't helpful about cheat sheets:

1. uh, you're cheating

2. it is a crutch. your practice is partly what you can remember and partly what is appropriate for your body.

3. practice isn't just about the postures

4. they insinuate that there is a "perfect posture" out there that you need to attain

5. sometimes they are inaccurate

6. they can't tell you how to get into/out of a pose or if you are doing it correctly

Does anyone have a third series poster? I decided I'm going to just skip the rest of second and start practicing third at home. ;)

yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

Can you touch your toes?

Not in a forward bend, mind you. In a back bend. This is what it's like to be an Ashtangi. Simple things like touching your toes become surreal. It's not enough to bend down and touch our toes. We have to bend backward and grab our heels.

Well, maybe not the heels. If you're me, that is.

Today, I did a semi-private (second this week, although the first was more of a quadri-private) with the Good Doctor today. We spent like two hours chatting before we even got started practicing, and by the time we started, I really didn't know if I even wanted to practice at all. I had kind of lost my nerve.

But since there I was, I got on my mat when we finally got around to realizing that morning was quickly dwindling. It was gone, in fact.

I had an interesting practice. Primary was kind of challenging for me, but Second was a delightful relief. Even Kapotasana was kind of nice. I managed to get both toes again, and actually hold it and BREATHE.

That was the focus of my practice today: breathing. Initiating movement with breath, rather than the other way around. Not sure if that is what made my chest feel sprung-open, but it did.

I am so tired. Must sleep now.

Note to self: must find feet in all backbends. Must actually SEE them someday.

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

To the New Yorkers Who Want to Practice with a Certain Teacher Again...

I have it on very very good authority that Pure Yoga is opening on the Upper East Side in a very very convenient location (86th Street!), right near the 4, 5 and 6 Line and is offering monthly memberships for a mere $130! Can you imagine?! Even better, they are going to attempt to get a Mysore Program going.

I say "attempt" because I have never heard of a Mysore program being successful on the Upper East Side.

Now, why is that?

I am pretty sure it is because no Mysore program on the Upper East Side had a senior teacher authorized by SKPJ. And more specifically, no Mysore Program on the UES ever had Christopher.

But Pure is very open to bringing Christopher on, which I would think would virtually guarantee the success of an uptown Mysore program. Finally! (This is very very good news for someone like me who has to commute INTO the city to get the good Mysore fix...)

If this is something that is as potentially exciting to you as it is to me, you can email nicole.dimiceli@pureyoga.com and let them know. They totally want to hear from us.

Just think...$130 per month, Christopher, Mysore style on the UES. What is not to like?

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Slip and slide

In the winter, the balmy, sticky, cold, and rainy days make me scared to go to practice. I feel like an old hinge and a rusty bike chain all rolled into one creaky little package. But now the days are positively pleasant, and when the rain comes, I am surprised at how deep my practice becomes. Maybe it is because psychologically, I am putting more effort into the other stuff because I figure the wet weather will make me too stiff to bend anyway, and then all that work actually pays off and I become more open than if I would have tried for it. 

There are places in practice where the wet legs and arms are not to my benefit (or at least, they don't make things easier). Today in bhekasana, that stubborn right heel (which now touches the floor--a feat beyond belief in this ashtangi's mind) was on its way down when my hand slipped off my foot and my leg went flying (I think it did at least, hard to remember when I am just so focused ;)). In supta vajrasana, the feet can be slippery little buggers. Again, in bakasana, I have to actually work--imagine--to keep up rather than just resting on my arms, otherwise my legs slip right off. So I was rather surprised when I nailed bakasana B, slippage be damned! In yoga nidrasana and dwi pada sirsasana, the slippery shins helped me to get deep into the pose. But, then they quickly slipped away. In back bending, it was ankles being grabbed instead of calves. My hands would have slipped right down.

I kind of like it like this. It makes the practice feel so dynamic, so alive, like a music video with a bunch of scantily clad hotties gyrating in a sweaty room to the rhythm of the breath. I'm a bit of practice vampire, I'll admit, feeding off the energy of the room.

Toward the end of second series today (for me that is pincha, karan, mayurasana), I started having these weird thoughts. You know, like when you think of a word and you keep thinking of it until it doesn't make any sense. Well, same thing, but with the practice. In karandavasana mostly. I kept thinking about how "omg I am upside down" and wait "what do I do now?" and "f#$ I'm still upside down this is crazy" It was funnyny actually. 

In mayurasana, there are a couple of moments where my body is like "what is this?" and it searches through the database to figure out how to proceed and then it happens. I start to float. I was thinking about it yesterday and it reminds me a bit of those air locked jars of jam. Pop!

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It's no Chakra Bandasana. But it's mine

So now, even I can SEE that I am making progress. These are actual backbends. Not my former flat-topped table-top. Yay!

Here's another problem with posting about yoga: I can't even say what it is that I am doing differently now because every week it seems to change. This week, I seem to need to put my feet kind of closer together than before, toes pointed slightly inward in order to really straighten out my legs. If I splay out my legs and feet, then I can't straighten the legs at all. Must have something to do with where the tightness is in my groins; the tightness is experienced, I am guessing, in the inner thighs, which is called upon to release when the legs splay out. That tightness is bypassed when the legs are turned in.

Anyway. Moon day, pheh. I have taken many non-moonday holidays lately. I would like to make this a six-day week.

YC

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Sun Salutations in the Sun

I practiced in the late afternoon sunshine on my back porch today. My chest felt like it was really popping through my arms, and I was curious as to whether it showed. So, I decided to take some video footage. It turned out rather poorly, production-values-wise. And, actually, my Updogs don't look nearly as good as they felt.

BUT...when I look at this video, it actually makes me feel very very calm.

Can watching yoga make you feel calm?

Well, yeah. I think it can.

I remember one time just a little over five years ago, when I used to practice Bikram, and I was finishing up my chemo, and I had a horrible eye infection because after six months of chemo, I was left with like zero white blood cells to fight infection, and I had to have an MRI of my eyeballs. It was scary. Not so much because my head was in a vice while the machine of doom whirred loudly and the techies standing around me were instructing me to hold still for about 15 minutes. But more because I was scared shitless about what the MRI might show. Sure, they were looking for infections in my eye sockets. But what was to stop them from finding a brain tumor?

Somehow I had the presence of mind to visualize the Bikram sequence. One by one, I saw myself practicing each asana in my mind's eye. And I remained calm. And still. And the techies got their film. And it was over in what seemed like a moment or two, even though it was far longer.

It was a nice practice. I told myself I only had to do Primary. So, naturally, I did my entire practice. Funny how that works.

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I have some AMAZING news

If you are interested in seeing Christopher and practicing with him on Monday, June 2, please email me. He will be in NYC and teaching a Mysore session in a private home of one of our fellow students, and I have been given permission to pass along the news.

Ashtangi - that was one of the greatest comments I have ever gotten. I love the fact that we are moving past the issues.

Not to sound too maudlin, but today is one of those rare and awesome (literally, awe-some) days where I feel as if the universe really provides: I had mislaid my keyring, with my car keys (I do have one spare) and house keys (I don't really need house keys because my garage doors come with a remote and a combination key pad, as does my front gate), and this has been gnawing at me since yesterday, leaving me feeling out-of-control and lost and a bit pathetic. Today, I decided that I was going to sit down and really THINK about what I might have done with them on Friday, which was the last day I remember having had them in my hand (I used the spare all day yesterday, and given my propensity to lose things, using my last spare is NOT a safe or wise thing to be doing). But first, I had to procrastinate. So, procrastinate, I did.

First, I cleaned out and vacuumed my car. I figured that perhaps the key ring had fallen in between seats, and what better way to kill two birds with one stone than to clean the car as I searched. Unfortunately, as I suspected, no luck.
See, I knew that randomly searching wasn't going to produce my keyring. If I was going to find my keys, I was going to have to sit down calmly, literally, sit down, and mentally walk through my day on Friday, at least from the time I came home from the city.

But that seemed terribly daunting. Sitting. Thinking. Action always beckons when sitting and thinking are called for, and so it was that I found myself dragging out of my garage a 15-foot length of four-foot tall plastic fencing and a bunch of wooden stakes. Instead of sitting and thinking, I created my second compost pile (I really, really need compost because my planned Woodland Garden has almost NO healthy, organically infused soil - it's all clay. I could build a statue with that soil, but I don't think I can successfully grow shrubs and perennials; mixing in fresh compost ought to rectify the situation). Then I filled it about a third full with leaves and grass clippings.

Afterwards, I stood back and admired how cleaned-up the planned woodland garden area is looking and metaphorically patted myself on the back for re-using natural resources in order to green up my property. Planting equals carbon-absorption, you know. And beauty is always a good thing to behold.

I was so chuffed that I decided that I would go have a lazy nap in the hammock by the the brook. And if that led to some "sitting and thinking" about where I might have laid my keys, then all the better, I figured. As I climbed into the hammock, I heard a familiar metallic jingling.

My keys.

Aha. On Friday, when I drove in, I was on the phone with my friend, S, and I decided to finish the phone call in the hammock. Apparently, my keys did not make it out of the hammock and spent the weekend relaxing there. Lucky keys.

Thank you universe for helping me find my keys.

YC yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

REAL YOGA FOR REAL PEOPLE.. dvd released

This is worth looking at. There is a practice here that is good general instruction from which a person could design a personal practice. Sure it would better to have personal instruction from a “live” teacher but the whole point of media is to make available the information if it cannot be directly transmitted person to [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;